North Sudan
With 5,5 million refugees, Sudan has the highest number of refugees in the world. In Darfur, there are more than 2,5 million displaced persons and more than 200,000 people have died in conflicts. ZOA has been supporting people in Gereida, South Darfur since November 2004. In December 2005, ZOA started working in another two areas: Abu Ajura and Joghana. In 2008 ZOA launched a new programme in the city of Ed Daein and the surrounding camps. Ed Daein is in South Darfur, in the Southeast Nyala district.
Refugees and the communities in which they live, are supported by ZOA with activities in the areas of education, agriculture, water and sanitation, career training and income generation.
Ongoing battles
In May 2006 a peace treaty was signed between the Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Army. Despite the peace agreement, chaos and insecurity still prevail. Safety conditions in Darfur deteriorated in 2008.
Conflicts regularly erupted between government troops and rebel groups. The government is unable to stop the ongoing battles, and even the international community cannot do much. This makes planning a future very difficult for the displaced persons in Darfur. Most refugees and displaced persons have depended on emergency relief for years now. In various parts of Darfur, especially in South Darfur, are communities where rehabilitation is possible. ZOA works in several camps for refugees and displaced persons in South Darfur. Insecurity and chaos are rampant here. Authorities are non-existent; there are only conflicting groups, which are often internally divided as well. As a result, ZOA has to allow for a strong element of insecurity it its plans and needs to be very flexible – nothing is certain.
Peacebuilding
ZOA supports refugees and displaced persons through practical measures. All projects address peacebuilding.ZOA organises negotiations between potentially conflicting groups (e.g. livestock breeders
and farmers), before refugees return. In the process ZOA introduces the ‘just rewards’ principle: active involvement will be rewarded. ZOA supports livestock owners by providing vaccinations, helping farmers prevent diseases and introducing innovative farming practices.
The projects that ZOA sets up for education, food security and water and sanitation are all interrelated.
ZOA also reaches out to women and young adults through centres for adult education and youth centres.
Directly to
Apeldoorn
